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Ex-President John Kufuor has expressed his unhappiness at growing reports within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that he belongs to a faction in the party and has taken sides in who becomes the party�s next flag-bearer. Speaking to the highest decision making body of the NPP last Saturday, Mr. Kufuor denied and lamented the perception that he belongs to a faction and asked that he should not be vilified for speaking his mind on internal party matters. �I have heard people talk of a �Kufuor Faction� or this faction or that faction in this party; I wish to state here very clearly today that I have no faction. And indeed do not want any faction in the party. I am a thorough bred NPP. I have supported the party�s ideals and principles all my life and I have no intentions of departing from them. �Preparations for these amendments have been going on for some time now and many of us have had our say; I have had my say and some of us, including myself have been vilified publicly just for saying our mind. This is not in keeping with the traditions of our party; our tradition is that of tolerance and we never fear debate so as you express yourself, you allow others to express themselves,� Kufuor noted. He said the only way the party could re-capture power in 2012 is if the party unites and respects the views and opinions of all its members whether big or small. John Kufuor stated further, �Through this party, I reached the highest point in the political life of our nation. A point anybody could wish throughout the world. I have had my time and I am content with that. �I am not in contention with anybody for any position within the party or outside it and I wish to play my role as an elder statesman within the party, a position I believe I have earned. As an elder, if I see something going wrong or I have a vision I believe in, I believe I have the duty to my conscience to share it with my party members and If I do not, then I would be failing the party I have served for so long and for so well,� he concluded. In an interview with Joy News on Friday, spokesman for the former president, Mr. Frank Agyekum, hinted the former president had opined that the current constitution of the party did not need changes necessarily but reinforcement. He said the former president was of the view that the party must tread with caution so it is not exposed to �unforeseen dangers.� Mr. Kufuor�s word was that the party�s leadership adopts an �open-hand� approach, make unity the party�s �rallying cry� and stick to the campaign refrain Kukrudu, Unity.